1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a device for protecting the ears of the user, and more particularly to a lightweight ear protection device that is supported by the ears and protects the ears from the elements while facilitating the user's ability to hear.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, ear muffs and the like have been provided with ear pieces at each end of a headband, with the ear pieces then being worn with the headband put around the top of the head or around the base of the head region of the head. FIG. 1 shows an example a known headband that wraps around the back of the head. Here, the article 10 comprises two ear pieces 16 (with only one being shown in FIG. 1) and a headband 14 clamping the ear pieces 16 at each end to the user's head 12. The headband 14 is constructed of flexible material, for example, a plastic spring material, to provide resilience.
The article 10 is put on the user's head 12 by slightly broadening the space between the ear pieces 16 at the ends of the headband 14 so that the ear pieces 16 are brought in position adjacent the ears 11. When the article 10 is put onto the head 12, it is positioned in such a manner that the ear pieces are pressed onto the user's head 12 and ears 11 by the resilience of the headband 14. In this way, the ears become sandwiched between the head 12 and the ear pieces 16. At the same time, the middle of the headband 14 comes into contact with the neck or collar of the wearer at the base 15 of the head region 20 of the user's head 12.
When this article 10 is used as described above, the ear pieces 16 are pressed to the head 12 as a result of the resilience of the headband 14. However, this structure does not enable active support by the ears 11 because its means of support is tension from the resilient material. In some designs it can be partially supported by the middle part of the headband 14 coming into contact with or riding on the base 15 of the user's head region 20 or the neck 19 or collar 21 at the side of the base 15 of the head region 20.
Unfortunately, when, for example, the headband 14 comes into contact with the neck 19 or collar 21 of the user's clothes, movement of the user's head 12 generates stress in the headband 14, thus stressing the entire structure. As a result, the position of the article 10 is frequently changed, causing noise and discomfort, which affects an individual's ability to concentrate and hear. In addition, the resilience of the tensioned headband 14 forms a sealed cup around the ears, interfering with sound entering into the ear canal. Because there is no active ear support feature, the resilience in the headband 14 must be strong enough to prevent the ear protection device 10 from falling off the head 12, causing unnecessary pressure to be exerted on the ears and the head 12, which can cause discomfort to the user. This discomfort is compounded when the level of sound the user can hear from beneath the ear pieces 16 is diminished. Thus, despite the existence of various types of earmuffs and headbands, there remains a need for an ear protection device having the advantages of the present invention.